Etobicoke Guardian
Humber College students, administration, and politicians gathered Wednesday, July 6 to announce the addition of a new building to the college's North Campus.
Dr. Shafiq Qaadri, MPP for Etobicoke North announced that the provincial government was donating a gift of $64.1 million to the college for the addition, named the Learning Resource Commons and Student Services Centre.
"How proud and humbled...and privileged we are to support what is actually a jewel not only in the riding of Etobicoke North but to the city and to the Province of Ontario," said Qaadri.
The grant is part of the province's 'Putting Students First' program. Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy was also on hand to commit his support to the Humber community.
"Our government's investment in the centralized learning and student services centre provides new facilities that will help Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber students succeed in the future, while creating good jobs today," said Milloy.
A smiling John Davies, Humber president, revealed details of the school's new facility. The Learning Resource Commons and Student Services Centre will feature group and independent study areas - highly coveted space according to many students - and an enhanced library. It will also serve as the main entrance to the campus.
"We will finally have a front door," joked Davies.
The building will create space for an additional 2,200 students by its completion in September 2014. The college currently serves more than 25,000 full-time students and 56,000 continuing education registrants. Davies said the building would served the community as well; construction alone will create 900 jobs over a three-year span starting early 2012.
"All sorts of community events take place at Humber on an ongoing basis. This will be another big addition to the way that this community already uses Humber," he said.
The building will be approximately 160,000 square feet over four storeys, and will open up an extra 65,000 square feet of retrofitted space in existing buildings.
Humber College will pick up the balance of $27.4 million for the $91.5 million-dollar facility.